State of Taekwondo

January, 2003

Black Belt Magazine

Black Belt Magazine

Training Tips From the World's Best Kicker

State of Taekwondo

By Floyd Burk

"When you think only about making contact with your kick," says Hee Il Cho, "you tend to neglest the beginning and middle portions of the technique."

Hee Il Cho's passion for taekwondo is apparent in everything he does. The Black Belt Hall of Fame member can move with the intensity of a shooting star or the grace of a cloud floating across the sky. The message is clear to all his followers that to achieve his level of expertise, you must learn the art fully and resolve to constantly improve your physical abilities. By following his path, the taekwondo you do in the training hall will become your own--a solid, well-balanced art. It will be a shield to use against bad guys or a weapon to help you triumph when you're competing against the toughest opponents. The following are some words of wisdom from the master:

Be totally committed to your art, your training and your competitions. If you elect to divide your energy—perhaps by playing softball or soccer—you are unlikely to make it to the top of your art because you won’t have the focus you need to succeed. You need to train up to eight hours a day no matter what.

Make the improvement of your overall physical conditioning your No. 1 priority. Work on your flexibility and strength, and do everything possible to increase your tolerance for long and rigorous training sessions. Before long, you will be able to put into action the techniques, tactics and strategies that will bring you victory.

Do not focus on making a loud smack when you kick. Many schools over-emphasize hitting the heavy bag or striking shield with maximum power to make maximum noise, and that leads some people to ignore the beginning and middle of the technique. Spend some of your time developing your speed by doing light, fast kicks. Then, power will come naturally.

At age seventy one Grandmaster Cho’s lifelong dedication to his art is evident. To witness Grandmaster Cho teaching and performing every technique with such power, precision and speed is an absolute pleasure.